Saint Louis Art Museum Raises The Bar With a Dedication to Art and the Education of all in STL

The Saint Louis Art Museum has been a jewel in the city’s crown since it was founded in 1879. Perched on the top of a hill overlooking the grand expanse of Forest Park, it’s a cultural bastion with a broad mission: “Collecting, presenting, interpreting, and conserving works of art of the highest quality across time and cultures; educating, inspiring discovery, and elevating the human spirit; and preserving a legacy of artistic achievement for the people of St. Louis and the world.”

Photo by Matt Kile

It’s a tall order, but SLAM continually presents programming and exhibits that exceeds this mandate. A brief look at some of the upcoming happenings reveals the depth and breadth of what SLAM brings to the city–on March 6, “The Carpet and the Connoisseur,” highlighting the James F. Ballard collection of Oriental rugs, opens to the public; “Art In Bloom,” an event featuring more than 30 floral designers interpreting a famous piece of artwork through flowers will take place during weekend of March 11; and this summer, a traveling exhibition organized by American Folk Art Museum in NYC called “Self-Taught Genius” will be on display, spotlighting works from a variety of folk artists over the past century. There are also plenty of amenities that make a visit to the museum a trip to remember, like the Grace Taylor Broughton Sculpture Garden and the stellar Panorama restaurant.

While part of SLAM’s reason for being is curating works from our past, the organization stays on the cutting edge of technology, looking for better ways to integrate tech into its programming and the galleries to get visitors even more involved. All permanent exhibits going forward are being assigned hashtags, encouraging patrons to share their photos on Facebook and Instagram (no photos are allowed in ticketed exhibitions). Some exhibits will also have touch screens showing how the artwork was installed, as well as background info on the works and the artists. The museum even recently posted a YouTube video depicting how the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette was installed for its recent Mid Century exhibit.

SLAM is probably the best deal in town. Admission is still free, making the museum accessible to the entire populace. It gives locals and travelers alike the opportunity to contemplate a world-class and world0famous collection of art, but also offers a space to find something unexpected, gain knowledge and inspiration and experience some much-needed solitude.

Pick up your copy of the Good Vibes issue at SLAM today.

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